Pitch Music & Arts will celebrate its 10th edition in 2027, returning to the foothills of Gariwerd (the Grampians) in Victoria, Australia, from March 5-9 for a milestone chapter.

The electronic and arts festival, run by Untitled Group, launched its 2027 campaign with a teaser video framed around a time capsule, cutting through archival footage from past editions. Organizers have promised an anniversary edition that nods to the festival’s earlier years — including references to its very first 2017 event — while teasing “boundary-pushing surprises.”

“Reaching our tenth edition is an incredibly meaningful milestone for us,” Untitled Group co-founder and managing partner Filippo Palermo said in a statement. “Pitch began with a clear vision for bringing music, art and community together and has grown and evolved year after year, shaped just as much by the people who return as the festival itself.”

A lineup has not yet been announced. The 2027 program will again unfold across three custom-built stages — the brutalist-inspired Pitch One, the Funktion-One-equipped Resident Advisor Stage and the dual-level Pitch Black, modeled on Berlin’s underground clubs and historic amphitheaters. The Rock Pool, introduced in 2026 as a space to cool off, returns alongside the Pitch Pavilion for ambient sets and wellbeing programming, with Anna Nalpantidis back for a second year as arts curator.

The milestone arrives at a precarious time for Australia’s festival sector, which has seen a wave of cancellations and closures in recent years amid rising costs and softening ticket sales. Pitch has been a relative bright spot: it was recently named one of only a handful of Australian-owned festivals to appear in a global fan-voted rankings list, alongside Untitled Group’s own Beyond the Valley. Passes for the 2027 edition will be available in two, three- and four-day options, with presale registration now open.

PITCH MUSIC & ARTS 2027

March 5-9 — Moyston, VIC — The Grampians (Gariwerd)

Amyl and the Sniffers will headline Golden Hour at Bondi Beach in 2027, in what’s being billed as the Melbourne punk band’s biggest Australian show yet.

The Grammy-nominated group tops the bill at the Fuzzy-run summer event on Thursday, March 4, with every act on the day fronted by a woman — Malyangapa and Barkindji rapper BARKAA and Western Sydney post-punk outfit Xiao Xiao join as special guests. The Bondi date is part of a four-show Australian homecoming run that also takes in Brisbane’s On the Banks series (Feb. 26), Fremantle’s Palace Foreshore (Feb. 28) and St Kilda’s Palace Foreshore (March 7).

The Golden Hour series returned major live music to Bondi for the first time in more than a decade with its sold-out inaugural edition in 2026, headlined by Crowded House. For the 2027 shows, the band has committed ticket proceeds to a range of charities, with the Sydney donation acknowledging the local response to the Bondi attack.

The homecoming caps a breakout international stretch for Amyl and the Sniffers. Their 2024 third album Cartoon Darkness, produced by Nick Launay, debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart and became the band’s first entry on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 196. The album also delivered the band’s first Grammy nomination, with its single “U Should Not Be Doing That” up for best rock performance at the 2026 ceremony, alongside a BRIT Award nomination and performances at Glastonbury and Coachella. At the 2025 ARIA Awards, the group swept four prizes including album of the year, best group and best rock album.

Fronted by vocalist Amy Taylor, Amyl and the Sniffers broke through with their 2019 self-titled debut, which won the ARIA Award for best rock album, and have become one of Australia’s most prominent rock exports of the past decade. The band recently teased an unexpected next move: a film documenting country-music reworkings of their own songs.

AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS — AUSTRALIA 2027

Feb. 26 — Brisbane — On the Banks
Feb. 28 — Fremantle — Palace Foreshore
March 4 — Sydney — Golden Hour at Bondi Beach (with BARKAA, Xiao Xiao)
March 7 — St Kilda — Palace Foreshore

A$AP Rocky is returning to Australia and New Zealand. The rapper has announced a five-date arena tour for December, his first visit to the region in eight years.

The local leg of his Don’t Be Dumb World Tour opens Dec. 5 at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, followed by Sydney’s Afterpay Arena on Dec. 9, Auckland’s Spark Arena on Dec. 12, Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Dec. 14 and Perth’s RAC Arena on Dec. 17. Tickets go on general sale Friday, Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. local time, following artist, Vodafone, Mastercard, Live Nation and Westfield presales earlier in the week.

The dates follow a sold-out 25-date run across the U.K. and Europe that saw Rocky perform in 19 countries. According to promoter Live Nation, the European leg broke several regional records, including the fastest-selling rap show in Greece and the biggest arena sales for a rap artist in Zagreb, Belgrade and Sofia.

The tour supports Don’t Be Dumb, released in January as the long-awaited follow-up to 2018’s Testing. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — Rocky’s third chart-topper and his first in more than a decade — moving 123,000 equivalent album units in its opening week, and also topped Australia’s ARIA Hip-Hop/R&B Albums chart. Its lead single “Punk Rocky” reached No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart, and the record featured a sprawling guest list including Tyler, the Creator, Doechii, Gorillaz, Brent Faiyaz, Thundercat and will.i.am, with cover artwork created by filmmaker Tim Burton.

One of the most celebrated figures in hip-hop over the past 15 years, the Harlem rapper broke through with his 2011 mixtape Live.Love.A$AP and has since topped the Billboard 200 with At.Long.Last.A$AP (2015) and Testing before Don’t Be Dumb. Beyond music, he has become a fashion fixture — co-chairing the 2025 Met Gala — and expanded into film, appearing in the A24 productions Highest 2 Lowest and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.

A$AP ROCKY — DON’T BE DUMB WORLD TOUR, AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND 2026

Dec. 5 — Melbourne — Rod Laver Arena
Dec. 9 — Sydney — Afterpay Arena
Dec. 12 — Auckland — Spark Arena
Dec. 14 — Brisbane — Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Dec. 17 — Perth — RAC Arena

Shakira wanted to end her European residency in Madrid on a high note, and for her 13th concert, she surrounded herself with great friends. Maluma, Laura Pausini, Beéle, Dani Martín and Bizarrap joined her for one last night, which also featured dancers from the Carnival of Barranquilla, a drone display and a visibly emotional Shakira bidding farewell.

“There has been a before and after for me. It’s all felt like a dream, and honestly, I don’t want to leave,” the Colombian superstar told the audience. “It’s going to be very, very hard to leave Spain again.”

Announced a week earlier as “The Last Dance,” Monday’s concert (Oct. 12) brought the residency to a total of 13 shows and concluded with four consecutive performances from Oct. 9-12. The finale also coincided with Spain’s National Day (Día de la Hispanidad), with Latin culture strongly present throughout the celebration.

“I’ve prepared so many, many surprises for you tonight,” Shakira teased shortly after starting the show. “Tonight, I’m not holding anything back. I’m going to give you everything, everything, everything I have, because there’s nothing like when a she-wolf meets her pack.”

The first surprise came with Maluma, who returned for the second night in a row to perform “Chantaje” and “Agua” alongside Shakira. “We’ve already done four songs together; we should form a group called Shaluma,” joked Shakira to her compatriot, who replied that he was ready to create many more songs with her.

Later, Shakira paused the show for several minutes to thank the audience and everyone who made possible what she described as one of “the most important” projects of her career. “This residency has been historic for me,” she said, adding that during these weeks, she had also gone through difficult moments, including her father’s health issues and other personal challenges. She said the audience gave her the strength to step on stage every night “with total joy and a full heart… You’ve made me feel like I’m just starting my career, and I will never forget that.”

The superstar then extended her gratitude to everyone who had been part of the show and Macondo Park, as well as Sony Music, Live Nation, her team, musicians and dancers. According to Shakira, more than 10,000 people worked on the production of the show and the themed city that was built around the stadium. She also gave a particularly heartfelt thank-you to her ex Antonio de la Rúa, a current collaborator, introducing him as “a great friend, a soul friend.” Shakira highlighted his support during the tour and his work behind the creation and details of the project.

Following her thank-yous, Laura Pausini took the stage as “the cherry on top,” as Shakira presented her. The Italian artist returned to the residency to perform a duet of “Antología,” as she had during one of the first nights of the residency. Before singing, she took a moment to offer some words, emphasizing what Shakira’s career represents for younger generations of artists. “You are a lesson for so many,” she said. “Just imagine our younger colleagues who see the immense example that you are of a long and very solid career.”

The next guest was Dani Martín, former lead singer of El Canto del Loco and one of the most recognized names in Spanish pop-rock, who joined her for “Te Dejo Madrid.” Shakira introduced him with a nod to the song’s lyrics: “Today, I’m going to sing this with a Madrileño who won’t break my heart.”

Beéle later joined her for a performance of “Algo Tú,” while several Carnival of Barranquilla dancers filled the stage, bringing a piece of her hometown’s celebration to a night that coincided with Spain’s National Day. For “Dai Dai,” the Ghetto Kids joined the celebration in a particularly colorful and vibrant evening.

The final performance also highlighted just how far the residency had come. “When they proposed doing eight concerts here in Madrid, I thought it would be impossible,” Shakira shared. “And look, today is our 13th show. Someone pinch me, please, so I know if this is real or not.” According to the artist, around 700,000 people attended the shows at the Shakira Stadium during the entire residency.

The energy remained high throughout the residency, both on stage and among the audience. Purple wigs and chain belts with coins became a recurring sight among attendees, who embraced some of the most iconic images from different stages of Shakira’s career. Near the end of the show, dozens of drones lit up the sky, first forming the shape of a she-wolf and then a giant “12+1,” the chosen way to mark the final night of the residency.

But one last surprise was still in store. Bizarrap took the stage for the grand finale, stepping behind the turntable to perform “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” with the singer, keeping the party alive until the final moments of “The Last Dance” and bringing nearly a month of Shakira in Madrid to a spectacular close.

When he returned to host Saturday Night Live for a third time over the weekend, comedian Shane Gillis garnered a lot of attention for his monologue — and the response has been heated. One of the most vocal critics was Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy, who posted an Instagram video on Sunday to explain why he took issue with the monologue, and to one part in particular.

The joke in question was when Gillis said, “I haven’t been to the gym in so long, I didn’t know women just dress like whores now? I’m sorry, there’s no other way to describe. Have you seen it? I’ve seen it. The shorts. Have you seen the shorts?”

In his response video, captioned “Ffs,” Levy said in part, “Women wearing short shorts at the gym does not make them whores; it makes the men calling them whores misogynists.”

His comments section was flooded with support, including from a handful of music stars. Jewel thanked Levy, while Wicked star Kristin Chenoweth posted a “100” emoji and Lisa Loeb commented alongside a fire emoji “Thank you.”

Maggie Baird, the activist mother of Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, shared Levy’s video to her Instagram Story with her own lengthy caption. “Thank you [Dan Levy]!” she started. “I literally gasped when [Shane Gillis] said this on [SNL]. I felt it physically (and was reminded of the horrible Bill Burr monologue),” she added, referencing Burr’s controversial 2020 appearance on the sketch comedy show, when he complained that white women had hijacked the “woke” movement and that Pride Month shouldn’t be so long. Baird continued: “I come from the sketch comedy world and am not squeamish around comedy, but how can men and comedy writers still think this is funny! It’s actually dangerous for women to promote this bullsh–.”

Flavor Flav also platformed Levy’s video, sharing an article about his response on X with the message: “Important allyship.”

Important allyship https://t.co/C8S1fUN0eO

— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) October 12, 2026

Maren Morris added to the discourse in her own Instagram post as well, with the message “me being a wh0re at the gym” across a video of herself soundtracked by her song “be a bitch.” In the video, she throws up a middle finger to the camera and finished it off with the caption: “leave my gym short wedgie out of it.”

View this post on Instagram

Gillis hosted Saturday’s show with Rosalía as the musical guest. In addition to it being his third time hosting, Gillis was also briefly a cast member of the show, but he was dismissed soon after the announcement of his casting when previous homophobic and racist jokes of his resurfaced.

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James Hetfield doesn’t seem very interested in turning a Metallica concert into a political lecture.

During the band’s Las Vegas Sphere residency, the heavy metal frontman took a second to thank fans for traveling to see the group before making one thing clear: Metallica isn’t there to push an agenda.

“Unless you live in Vegas, you’ve come a long way to spend some time with Metallica,” Hetfield told the audience during the band’s Oct. 10 show. “And I just gotta say: Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullsh–.”

Instead, the singer and guitarist said the band wants fans to leave their outside worries at the door.

“We are here to forget about all the outside sh–,” he continued. “Metallica’s agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby!”

Hetfield didn’t name any specific entertainers he had in mind, leaving his comments open to interpretation. Still, his message was unmistakable: When fans show up for Metallica, he wants the music to take center stage.

And the band’s staying power speaks for itself. Metallica’s ReLoad returned to the Billboard charts following an expanded reissue, landing at No. 1 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart. The achievement was the band’s sixth leader on the ranking, following the success of its 2023 album 72 Seasons.

The remarks came during Metallica’s Life Burns Faster residency at Sphere, the immersive Las Vegas venue that has become known for its enormous wraparound screen and elaborate visual productions. The band kicked off the run in October, becoming the first heavy metal act to headline the venue. The residency features a series of performances scheduled through March 2027.

While Metallica doesn’t want to get political onstage, that doesn’t mean the band has refrained from being outspoken throughout their decades-long career. Over the years, they’ve addressed subjects ranging from war and addiction to social alienation in their music and they were on the frontlines of the fight against Napster, becoming the first musicians to sue the controversial music-sharing service in 2000.

This week, Taylor Swift and The Beatles are meeting up on the Billboard charts in more ways than one.

First, both appear in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart, with Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl spending its 14th week at No. 1 and The Beatles’ deluxe edition of Rubber Soul arriving at No. 4 following its own stint up top in 1966. In addition, Swift’s latest week at No. 1 on the chart means she and The Beatles are the only acts to ever spend 100 weeks in the Billboard 200 top spot (The Beatles have 132 weeks to Swift’s now-100).

On this week’s Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about some of the things these two superstar acts have in common across their respective eras and when Swift might reach (or surpass) some big Beatles landmarks, like their record 20 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how the three acts with the most No. 1s on the Billboard 200 — The Beatles, Swift and Drake — are all in the top 10 together for the very first time. Plus, could Tame Impala and JENNIE’s “Dracula” take a bite out of the No. 1 spot on the Hot 100 soon? And, ADÉLA gets her first Hot 100 top 10 with the viral hit “Nicole Kidman.” And we’re also breaking down the big viral news story of the week: Kelly Clarkson’s heated back-and-forth with a Brooklyn art and magic shop.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)

BTS received five nominations for the 2026 MAMA Awards, which were announced on Monday (Oct. 12), the same day that first-round voting began for the 2027 Grammy Awards, which, for the first time, contains a dedicated Asian pop category, best Asian pop music performance.

BTS is nominated for artist of the year at the MAMA Awards,as well as best male group, album of the year for ARIRANG, best vocal performance group for “SWIM” and best music video for “2.0.” In addition, group member J-Hope received two nods for his feature on LE SSERAFIM’s “SPAGHETTI,” nominated in both best collaboration and best dance performance female group.

Another leading K-pop group, BIGBANG, received four nominations plus four more for solo projects by group members Taeyang and G-Dragon. BIGBANG is up for artist of the year and best male group, plus best music video and best dance performance male group for “BiiiG.” Taeyang received three nods as a soloist: artist of the year, best male artist and best dance performance male solo for his single “LIVE FAST DIE SLOW.” G-Dragon earned a nod with his feature on aespa’s “WDA (Whole Different Animal)” in the best collaboration category. G-Dragon won artist of the year at the 2025 ceremony.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER received three nods – artist of the year, best male group and album of the year for 7th year: a moment of stillness in the thorns. In addition, group member Yeonjun received three solo nominations: artist of the year, best male artist and best dance performance male solo for “Ice Cream.”

Seven acts received five nominations each: MAMAMOO (counting four nods for its youngest member, Hwasa), aespa, ATEEZ, IVE, LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT and CORTIS.

The first round of fan voting is already underway. The awards ceremony is set to take place over two nights, Nov. 20-21, at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan. The awards will also stream live worldwide on CJ ENM’s Mnet Plus platform. Music released between Oct. 1, 2025 and Sept. 30, 2026 is eligible for this year’s awards.

Other top winners at last year’s ceremony, in addition to G-Dragon, were ROSÉ & Bruno Mars’s “APT.” (song of the year), Stray Kids’ KARMA (album of the year) and ENHYPEN (fans’choice of the year).

Here’s the full list of nominees for the 2026 MAMA Awards, except for song of the year, which will be announced soon.

Best Male Artist

Best Female Artist

Best Male Group

Best Female Group

Best New Artist

Best Vocal Performance Solo

Best Vocal Performance Group

Best Rap & Hip Hop Performance

Best Original Soundtrack

Best Music Video

Best Collaboration

Best Band Performance

Best Choreography

Best Dance Performance Male Solo

Best Dance Performance Female Solo

Best Dance Performance Male Group

Best Dance Performance Female Group

Artist of the Year

Album of the Year

(Only Albums that sold more than 1 Million copies are eligible)

Fans’ Choice Male

Fans’ Choice Female

BTS is bringing its competitive spirit to the pickleball court.

In the latest episode of Run BTS 2.0, released Sunday, the seven members traded their intense choreography and microphones for paddles as they took on a series of games, culminating in a pickleball tournament that brought out their playful trash talk, questionable strategies and determination to win.

The episode began with the members taking on a preliminary game before moving on to pickleball, a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. While some members seemed to be more comfortable on the court compared to others (specifically V and j-hope, who used to play pickleball together as a hobby), the group quickly got into the competitive spirit as they practiced their serves and worked to get the hang of the game. Suga even got some tips on serving from the other members as V stood on the other side of the court.

Things got pretty entertaining once the tournament began. The first up were RM and Jin (Team Kim-Kim) against Jimin and Jung Kook (Team Kim Seokjin). The remaining members sat on a bench near the court, with the competition bringing plenty of friendly banter, enthusiastic celebrations and dramatic reactions to missed shots. Even seemingly straightforward plays became opportunities for the group to tease one another, while the running commentary from the sidelines proved almost as entertaining as the matches themselves.

Team Kim Seokjin ended up victorious, therefore moving on to the finale. The remaining members go up to the court to ultimately decide who will challenge Team Kim Seokjin. j-hope goes up against V and Suga as a solo member, which the other members deem “impressive.” Ultimately, only one winner will emerge from the finale.

Of course, the tournament came with more than bragging rights on the line. The members discussed a playful punishments for the losers, meaning there was more on the line than the winning title.

By the end of the tournament, the members gathered to reflect on the matches and celebrated the competition, ending the episode with the possibility of turning their games into a longer-running project.

Watch the full episode below.